MovieChat Forums > Mr. Robot (2015) Discussion > A question about the unusual cinematogra...

A question about the unusual cinematography/shot composition...

posted 2 years ago by damocci (1516)
2 replies | jump to latest

There's an unwritten rule in cinematography that, during a conversation, if a character is on the left of the screen he/she will face toward the right, and vice versa. But this series eschews that convention for some reason. A character on the left of the screen faces left, leaving a huge void on the right, which is so unusual. It's hard for me to put into words so I've included screenshots to illustrate what I'm talking about:

https://images2.imgbox.com/01/47/85xQE9oB_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/92/09/d68OusbH_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/d2/9c/tkOtdRTo_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/cb/22/zyUnra3b_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/f5/36/rwguFzp4_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/c6/38/VqCWcWEw_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/6b/ab/Y494FS7h_o.jpg

Why does this series do this? What is it supposed to mean? Are there other movies or series that do this?

[–] stabiljka (39) a year ago

Interesting. I don't know for another flick that uses this, but I didn't notice it here neither, until I found your post. I'd like to know more about this.

[–] damocci (1516) a year ago

Thanks for bumping this thread, I had forgotten about this question.

After doing a bit of digging I have found an answer about this unusual style. This show uses "lower quadrant" cinematography (where the characters occupy just the lower half of the frame) to create a sense of oppression and isolation. Example:
https://images2.imgbox.com/6b/ab/Y494FS7h_o.jpg

And putting characters at the edge of the frame closest to the person they're speaking to in order to create a sense of uneasiness. Examples:
https://images2.imgbox.com/92/09/d68OusbH_o.jpg
https://images2.imgbox.com/d2/9c/tkOtdRTo_o.jpg

It's interesting that this is the only place I have seen this technique before. It makes this series unique.

Source: https://imaffawards.com/the-cinematography-of-mr-robot/#:~:text=Robot%3F-,The%20cinematographer%20of%20Mr.,show's%20distinctive%20look%20and%20feel.